Sargent: "Journalists Cheerfully Urinating on Senate Bill's Critics"

[mcablue]

Greg Sargent
The Plum Line
12-21-2009

I noted the other day that certain Beltway journalists are having an enormous amount of trouble accepting the fact that critics of the Senate bill have actual substantive policy differences with the bill’s supporters, and aren’t merely driven by anger, ideology and spite.

Now we have John Harwood on CNBC going even further, arguing that “idiotic” critics are out of touch with reality:

So much of the commentary that I’ve heard has been really idiotic. Liberals who want universal health care ought to be thanking Harry Reid for getting this done rather than talking about what’s inadequate in the bill. I’m not saying the bill is a good bill.

But if you’re a liberal and you want universal coverage in this country, and think that you can do better, that Harry Reid can do better than he’s done that the White House can do better, they ought to lay off the hallucinogenic drugs because we’ve had a vivid demonstration of the limits of political possibilities on this issue.

Again: There’s a policy dispute underway. Agree or not, people who want to kill the bill see this as desirable because they think passing it would do more harm than good. By and large, they are not calling for the bill to be killed simply because they’re refusing to accept what can or can’t be accomplished. They think it’s bad policy on its own terms, and that it will have adverse real world consequences.

By contrast, those who want to pass the bill think it would do more good than harm. There’s an argument under way on this point. Each side is stating its case. Each side is impassioned. Each side is marshalling facts and figures to support its argument. There’s nothing wrong with this. It’s desirable.

More: http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/political-media/journalists-cheerfully-urinating-on-senate-bills-critics-part-ii/

[BeyondGeography]

1. It's about your feelings

[90-percent]

2. Table Scraps

We should be happy for this table scrap bill that leaves the medical industrial complex in a good position to make even more money on our misery?

Don't these idiots know that average Americans realize there's other countries besides America, and many of these other countries have universal health care thats a lot more fair and compassionate than ours is?

The only reason I can see for no single payer or Medicare buy in is the ENORMOUS MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX needs to have their profits rise 50 to 100 percent a year FOREVER.

-90% jimmy

[ProSense]

3. John Harwood is an idiot. n/t

[rucky]

4. THIS is the voice of reason.

There's not much of it out there right now, with all the drama going on.

Again: There’s a policy dispute underway. Agree or not, people who want to kill the bill see this as desirable because they think passing it would do more harm than good. By and large, they are not calling for the bill to be killed simply because they’re refusing to accept what can or can’t be accomplished. They think it’s bad policy on its own terms, and that it will have adverse real world consequences.

By contrast, those who want to pass the bill think it would do more good than harm. There’s an argument under way on this point. Each side is stating its case. Each side is impassioned. Each side is marshalling facts and figures to support its argument. There’s nothing wrong with this. It’s desirable.

Trollish behavior on the tee-vee and right here on the intertubes - some intentional some not - are fueling those who wish us ill will. They're having a field day using this vote to slice and dice the left - and plenty of others on both sides of the pass/kill spectrum (and it IS a spectrum) simply being lazy, misled on the facts, or dishonest. If you don't have serious misgivings about this bill, you're not being honest. If you don't see any redeeming value of this bill, you're not being honest.

If you're struggling to weigh the net benefits versus the harm of this bill, you have my respect - no matter what conclusions you've drawn.